LEJOG day 5 - Corsham to Stratford Upon Avon

135 km  Elev gain: 1241 m  (84 miles / 4072 ft)
2 °C (real feel 0 °C)

Rob joins me in the morning for the first 30 miles up to Cirencester, crossing from Wiltshire into Gloucestershire. He sets the perfect pace for me and I selfishly draft him all the way. Ordinarily this would be poor form, but I'm dragging 11kg of luggage, and Rob is happy enough to oblige. We have a nice coffee and cake at Keith's on Black Jack Lane before parting company.

I resume my solo ride through the Cotswolds, passing through Bourton-on-the-Water before stopping for lunch in Stow-on-the-Wold. It's a cold Saturday in March but the town is heaving. 

Bourton-on-the-Water

It's hilly around here but not too steep, though I hesitate before passing up the opportunity to tick Dover's Hill off my bucket list - another day and another (lighter) bike for that kind of shenanigans.

I push on through Moreton-in-Marsh, before leaving the Cotswold stone behind, dropping down into Warwickshire - my 6th county in 5 days - and picking up the Stratford Greenway for a fast and flat run-in to my friend's house in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Running total: 557 km  Elev gain: 6638 m  (346 miles / 21,778 ft).  28 hrs 49 mins